Police: Man switches clothing with friend after robbery, both arrested

Two men in Monroe County tried to pull a clothing switcheroo following a gas station robbery Tuesday morning but they both ended up in jail, according to police.

Stroud Area Regional police said a man with a gun and wearing a black bandanna entered the Shell gas station on the corner of McConnell and N. Third streets in Stroudsburg at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and demanded money from the clerk.

The robber took $132 and then told the clerk to open the store safe, but the clerk said he couldn't, police said. Instead, the robber demanded the clerk hand over all the Newport cigarettes, police said.

The clerk placed a dozen packs of cigarettes in a shopping bag and the robber fled, police said.

About a half hour later, two men, one who matched the clothing description of the robber was spotted by police. Donovan Johnson, 19, of East Stroudsburg, fled up a wooded hill toward N. Fifth Street and Kevin Strickland, 20, of Stroudsburg continued walking, police said.

Both men were detained.

Through an investigation, it was determined that Strickland was the one who robbed the gas station, then went to a nearby home and switched clothing with Johnson, police said.

Police found the shopping bag with cigarettes in Strickland's pants, police said. A pair of gloves and a black bandanna were found in a nearby trash container and a black BB gun was found along in the area where Johnson fled from police.

Both men were charged with robbery, theft, simple assault and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. They were sent to Monroe County Correctional Facility on $100,000 bail each.